Telford Vice's Blog, page 376

Now back problem will prevent De Villiers from keeping wicket

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

A tweaked hamstring prevented AB de Villiers from keeping wicket in the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Now, his lingering back problem has made it highly unlikely that he will be behind the stumps for the second test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo tomorrow.

So, it seems Quinton de Kock will retain the gloves and De Villiers will again play as a batsman. Yesterday, De Villiers tried to explain the situation.

“In the last game I had that ‘ham...

Morkel on holiday … for now

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

Attention, please: Morne Morkel is on holiday. Do Not Disturb. At least, not until sometime today, when he will flip the flops off those arrestingly large feet and reach for his even bigger bowling boots.

“The next couple of days is about getting the body sorted,” Morkel said after SA won the first test against Sri Lanka by 153 runs in Galle on Sunday. “I’ve got a couple of blisters I need to attend to, so it’s just feet up and rest.”

Morkel said he would divide...

South Africa’s brazen arrogance an embarrassment to cricket

http://www.GOcricket.com – http://www.gocricket.com/blogs/telford-vice/Ball-tampering-South-Africas-brazen-arrogance-an-embarrassment-to-cricket/articleshow/38849510.cms

TELFORD VICE, Colombo

You would think it would be bad enough that one of your bowlers had been done for ball-tampering. You would also think the embarrassment that would have caused would curb any arrogance you might succumb to in making demands you had no right to make of people who are under no compunction to do your bidding....

SA not in a spin over tweakers going nowhere slowly

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Galle

Minutes after SA completed their victory over Sri Lanka in the first test in Galle on Sunday, the parched pitch was given what it had cried out for for the best part of a week: water.

Plumes of the wet stuff arched through the air from the sprinklers and seemed to disappear straight into the strip of bone-coloured earth that groundstaff had denied a drop for the past five days.

Their obsession with keeping the pitch as dry as the Karoo included insulating the surfa...

Sri Lankan heavies trump SA bullies in battle over Philander footage

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Galle

Strong-arm tactics by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) heavyweights yesterday trumped the SA camp’s attempts to bully the broadcasters of the test series against Sri Lanka into not showing Vernon Philander tampering with the ball.

The footage was aired yesterday – almost 48 hours after the SA fast bowler had been caught on camera gouging the ball with his fingernails during the third day’s play in the first test in Galle on Friday.

Instead of being broadcast at the time, t...

Sanga’s sinking feeling seals SA’s tainted win

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Galle

SA clinched victory in the first test against Sri Lanka by 153 runs 45 minutes before tea on the fifth day in Galle yesterday. By then, the contest had effectively been over for two-and-a-half hours.

The match was all but decided 35 minutes before lunch when JP Duminy shambled in to bowl his first delivery of the day and served up a looping long-hop that pitched outside Kumar Sangakkara’s off-stump.

Sangakkara had batted for three-and-a-half hours for his 76 not ou...

Ball-tampering blights SA’s ascent to No. 1

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Galle

Vernon Philander’s conviction for ball-tampering raises the spectre of SA having used illegal tactics to become the No. 1 ranked test team.

In particular, the integrity of performances by Dale Steyn, the world’s top bowler, could be questioned.

SA, who were test cricket’s leading team from August, 2012 to May, 2013, have been accused of the offence three times – albeit once by their opponents – in the last eight months, and been found guilty twice.

How many other t...

Leading Edge: SA cricket could learn a few things by crossing Custom Street

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Galle

We were in the midst of the madness of crossing Custom Street when a man with a plan made us an offer he thought we could not refuse: “In through the main gate. Only 100.”

Around us swarmed buses, mini-buses, motorbikes, scooters, trucks, tuk-tuks, taxis, bicycles, parasoled, perambulating pedestrians, beggars, policemen as punctilious as they were paunchy, dogged dogs, catatonic cats, crotchety crows, and all. They came from at least 47 points of a three-pronged...

Amla’s declaration keeps first test flying high

Sunday Times

TELFORD VICE, Galle

A sky alive with fluttering frivolity took the edge off the grim battle on the ground as the first test between Sri Lanka and SA oozed towards conclusion in Galle yesterday.

Besides the fourth day of the match, yesterday also served up a kite festival. For much of the afternoon, scores of brightly coloured craft were piloted from the ramparts of the fort that overlooks the ground.

Down below, nothing so carefree was going on. Sri Lanka bobbed somewhere between ser...

Philander guilty of ball-tampering

Times Media

TELFORD VICE, Galle

Vernon Philander became the second SA cricketer in eight months to be found guilty of ball-tampering in Galle last night.

Philander did not contest charges of illegally changing the condition of the ball following the third day’s play in the first test against Sri Lanka yesterday.

Faf du Plessis was convicted of the same offence during SA’s test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October last year for rubbing the ball on a zip in his trousers.

An...